Meet Eli Brayley, campus preacher who endorses (good) confrontation

SINGING THE WORD: Eli Brayley, with guitar, enjoys the sunshine outside TSC with some companions. / Photo by Megan Wiseman

By Megan Wiseman

September 16, 2008 | The sky was stormy, threatening to burst -- much like the crowd that was drawn around Eli Brayley, a born-again Christian from Canada, who was standing outside the Taggart Student Center on a recent afternoon.

Brayley was at Utah State for one reason: to preach.

When I first walked up to where Brayley was, he was standing in front of Synergy, the statue of encircled hands, with a group of about 15 students haphazardly strew about him, preaching about how "Mormons aren't religious." This sparked a debate between Brayley and Devin Wood, a senior at Utah State who served an LDS mission in Detroit.

The banter continued between Brayley and Wood for 15 minutes or so with accusations of hypocrisy, sinfulness and not believing in Christ.

When I approached them, they shifted their conversation toward me.

"I hate confrontation, I think it pushes people away," Wood told me. "It is more effective to teach calmly and I think it is a sin to be confrontational."

"Confrontation is natural," Brayley replied. "It's when confrontation turns into contention that it becomes a sin. Confrontation is in the New Testament and even Jesus confronted the people of his day."

Despite their heated arguments, Wood said he revered Brayley and his knowledge of the scriptures.

"He is a biblical master where as I am a novice babe," said Wood.

As I continued interviewing Brayley he told me he grew up in Canada where he attended the University of New Brunswick majoring in history and philosophy. After two years of college he dropped out to preach the gospel. After traveling across the country and preaching at over 60 college campuses, including NYU and UC-Berkeley, Brayley decided to stay in Utah for awhile.

At one point I decided to sit on the concrete wall and observe Brayley and his interactions with the people around him. That was when I met Christie Dunn and Deanna Taylor. Dunn is a former student from USU, currently attending Weber State University, who became friends with Brayley. Her husband preaches from time to time, and that's how they met Brayley. Taylor is part of the family that opened their home to Brayley and invited him to come and settle in Smithfield.

"Eli has received the most opposition in Utah where most people have an attitude problem," said Taylor. "In other states things have become more physical. He was once punched in the face, but in Utah people are more mocking."

As Taylor finished telling me about Brayley's experiences, classes were let out around campus and a large swarm of students began to mill about Brayley. Mixed reactions were heard. Anything from, "This guy is annoying, I don't get what his point is," to comments such as "I hate this guy, he should be arrested."

Despite crude and borderline obscene remarks uttered by people passing by, Brayley kept on preaching. Brayley said that he doesn't believe college students should focus on believing in the gospel. The only thing that can help students is to submit to Jesus Christ through the gospel.

"Religion is about our. Our works, our beliefs, and our glory. When you focus on Jesus it is about what He did and what He does," said Brayley.

Brayley again stressed that the gospel can't help anyone, only Jesus Christ can. Brayley said that religion is changing. "People still believe in something, but not God," they think that they are their own personal God said Brayley. Modern society is departing from reason through religion, he said.

Brayley has no immediate plans to leave the Logan area. He said he has plenty to keep him busy.

"There is lots of work to be done, lots of sins to be forgiven."

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